


Life is Unfair

by Erikthonius



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-16 15:08:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17551988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erikthonius/pseuds/Erikthonius
Summary: Getting to do the thing you love is worth more than a lifetime.





	Life is Unfair

“Life is unfair.” How many times had he said that? When he was little and his parents made him go to the boarding school where the nuns were so strict. Oh yes, he remembered the nuns, how they beat him when they found him kissing Jacques. That was really unfair, since he only kissed Jacques to practice for when got up the courage to ask the girls from the other school out. Of course, poor Jacques, he suffered worse, because he confessed that he really preferred Jules’ kisses. That was years later of course, when Jacques came to congratulate him over winning his first race and they’d been draining too many glasses of cognac.

When he got out of school, life was a little fairer. He’d learned how to drive, and he loved every minute of it. He took such such good care of every automobile and marveled at every new refinement in these amazing creations of the engineers. He loved the beauty of these machines, he loved the power, but most of all, he loved the speed. It was like flying. These new races were so much more exciting than the old ones where you were dependent on the whims of an animal. This was human creativity at its finest.

Of course, he was the best. He won trophies, he won fame, the women swooned at his feet. This next race would be his crowning glory. His automobile was the latest creation, using clean steam instead of the foul smelling petrol. He flew around the course; he left the other drivers far behind. Then, just as the prize was to be given to him, the judges, those corrupt swine, announced that he had not won fairly because he’d used a stoker. Well, of course he used a stoker; this new invention required it. But still, the prize was taken from him. Of all the unfairnesses of his life, this was the worst.

It broke his heart. It was that very night that he, needing to feel the balm of speed and distracted by rage at how unfair it was, careened into a tree. There was blinding pain for a single instant, and then a dull numbness so stultifying that he could barely remember his own name. He couldn’t say how long this numbness lasted, but it was finally broken by a compelling voice.

“I have need of a driver for my son.”

Any command from this voice would be obeyed, but this was more a precious gift than a command. He nodded assent, and his new employment began. At first it was sporadic, but those times behind the wheel were glorious.

Something had changed, and instead of long periods of dull inactivity, he found himself being summoned twice a week by his young master’s call.

“Jules-Albert, I’m sorry to bother you again, but Will and I are going on date tonight, so we’ll need you to pick us up at seven.”

Ah, young love. It made him happy, although his face now lacked the necessary flesh to show a smile. Yes, life was unfair, but death, now death was another matter.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, that just popped into my head all at once.


End file.
